I couldn’t decide whether or not I actually wanted to blog or not. To blog or not to blog? (Lame I know). Something happened to me two days ago while I was driving back to work from lunch. I was listening to the radio when they announced the next song was going to be “I Want To Know What Love Is” not by Foreigner but instead a cover done by Mariah Carey.
We all know that Mariah Carey was (not so great anymore) a talented singer and will probably go down as one of the greatest singers ever. She can hit notes that no other person can. I get that. She has sold billions of records. Awesome. But who the heck gave her the idea that she could take a classic and butcher it! I was so disappointed when I heard the song that it ruined my day. I’m no connoisseur of great music or take the stance that I have the best taste in music but I do know that when you take one of my favorite songs (don’t judge me) and ruin it, I get a little upset.
I couldn’t think of another cover, which I’m against, unless you can make it better then the original, that made me upset. I really don’t usually care but this one really struck a nerve with me. Oh well, I guess that means I’ll have to change the station every time that song comes on. My ears have thanked me in advance.
I now want to pose this question to everyone else. How do you feel about covers of songs? Has there ever been one that you couldn’t believe someone would take a classic and just destroy it? If so, please share.
Here is one for you
What about Jessica Simpson singing "Take My Breath Away?"
I googled
Although I figured out what a cover must be from your context, it was a new term for me, so I googled "cover songs." I found a really good wikipedia article that told me everything I wanted to know about the definition and history of the term. I also found an article that put forward nominations for the 20 Worst Cover Songs. The link for that is:
http://www.cracked.com/article_15117_20-worst-cover-songs-in-pop-music-h...
Thanks for teaching me a new term. Learning something new each day is what keeps me young.
GravelGertie
As much as I liked the old Poison
They did way too many cover songs. Ugh.
Any Beatles song
done by anyone other than the Beatles. It's just sacrilege. Sorry, I grew up in the 60's.
~ "I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian." ~ Author Unknown ~
Sometimes it's the other way
Sometimes it's the other way around and the covers make you forget the original. Johnny Cash's covers of some recent alt-rock songs come to mind.
(edit) - Forgot to mention that Mariah Carey is a horrid, shrill little thing and she owes us all an apology for "Glitter."
(second edit) - somebody finally put this pretty-darned-good cover into the youtubes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ITHanhV6A
Joe - Shawn Colvin
OMG! Better than the original! I had not heard this one. Thanks.
~ "I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian." ~ Author Unknown ~
My ears are bleeding, too! That's why I have CD's and DVD's.
You and I both know good and well, the record industry, or should I say, the "whatever the current Zune file is" industry, has no originality or creativity left. That's why pay per download files are never going to replace the free download and share files of original hit music, no matter how much they try to outlaw and crack down on them. Anyway, before I completely digress, I believe that original music died a slow painful death between 1989 and 1999. This was the period when actual human bands were gradually replaced by computerized cut and paste synthesized BS that passes as today's music. BTW, before anybody asks, I have listened to techno music, that's not what I'm talking about. Techno music is original and upbeat and fun to listen to when it's done right.
What I think is disgusting is when somebody totally synthesizes a classic to the point it's not even recognizable just to make it sound modern. Most of it is so "one hit wonder" type singer oriented, that there's really no room for singer songwriters to practice their crafts. When they get desperate for new talent, the first thing the industry does is go for is the cover with some unknown kid who doesn't know better, and cut some cheesy videos to sell records or downloads.
Maybe I'm just getting old, or maybe I've been in radio long enough to appreciate what's good, and what's BS. If it's Elton John covering Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, that's cool, because it's a real band with a real singer, not some kid with a PC using a keyboard to create an artificial voice sound. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.